Switch



DCC. 6, 1938. J', B, FORKER, JR 2,138,962

De. 6,. 1938. ,1, B, VFQRKER, JR

SWITCH i 2 sheets-sheet 2v Filed Oct. 2, 1934 INVENTOR. .fames-yowen fr.' BY

ATTORNEYS.

embodying the invention, such disclosed means Patented Dec. 6, 1938 UNITED STAT E S PATENT FFCE SWITCH corporation of Ohio Application October 2, 1934, Serial No. 746,546

11 Claims.

This invention1 relates to a sliding switch for overhead. conveyorY systems and has among` its purposes the simplication of the suspension of such. a switch, with resulting reduction in the weight and expenseY of the supporting steel work necessary. Aiurtherbeneficial result from such simplification isthat the switch can be installed expeditiously, and in particular, levelled up quickly and4 accurately. The switch of this invention is adapted to beincluded in an overhead track system with very little special supporting work` and insome situations withy no support in additionto that, for the general track suspension.

Another advantage resulting from the method r of support is-that it enables a plurality of these switchesto be closely spaced where necessary to 0 tory as a. completed unit to be installed in the field with a minimum of cutting and tting of adjacent. track sections and no bending of such sectionsA even, in situations where the switch makes large changes in direction.

To. the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, `said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms inwhich the principle of the invention may be used.

Inthe accompanying drawings Fig. l is a plan view from above, showing the switch assembly and its connections to a conveyor system; Fig. 1A is a detailfromFig. I on the line I-A-IA; Fig. 2 is a corresponding View showing the switch at the other end ofI its throw; Fig. 3 is a side elevation in the direction. of the arrows 3-3 Fig. l; Fig. 4 is an end. elevation inthe direction indicated by the arrows 4 4, Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan. of variousapplications of the switch in a standardized steel frame factory building. Fig. 5 is upside down to Figs. l and 2.` In Figs.A l and. 2 the rail Webs and the hanger iittingsor cleats` arev omitted to simplify the drawings. The-features omitted from Figs. l and Zare shown in. Figs. 3 and 4. Some of the rail hangersshown in Figs. 1 and 2 are omitted from Figs. 3 andY 4 for simplicity.

As best seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the switch comprises a frame and a carriage movable thereon. The frame comprises four members, I, 2, 3'and 4,

preferably made up of structural shapes such as angle bars welded together. In this frame the end members are designated as l and 2 and the side members as 3 and ,4. As a matter of convenience the description and claims will be made with reference to a trolley moving upward of the sheet, Figs. l and 2, that is, entering the switch at the side 3. Consequently the side 3 will be referred to in the description and claims as the near or entering side, the end i will be termed the right end, and so on. It will be understood that these designations are merely arbitrary and that cars may move in either direction through the switch. The flanges of the side bars 4 serve as rails for the wheels 5 of the carriage.

The carriage is also preferably built of structural shapes, such as angles welded into a rectangular frame, and runs on its tracks through a distance which is limited by the ends i and 2 of the frame. The preferred carriage construction here shown comprises side bars S through which the axles 'I pass, the wheels 5 being on the outside of the side bars. A plate 8 is welded beneath these bars and rail hangers 9, 9, and Ill, I are in turn welded or otherwise secured beneath the carriage. The rail hangers 9, 9 suspend a rail section i I curved to the right and the rail hangers I0, IS suspend a straight rail section I2 transverse to the switch, both of which will be described in greater detail hereafter. When the movable curved section II is in operative position, Fig. l, it is continued by a fixed curved rail section IIA, suspended from the side 4 of the switch frame by hangers 9A. The sections 9 and SA together make a 90 curve. Trolleys enter the switch only by the o-ne track I3, and leave it by the track I4 at right angles when the switch is thrown tol the left, Fig. l, o-r by the opposing track I5 when the switch is thrown to the right, 40 Fig. 2.

The carriage is traversedv by any suitable means such as chains 2B running over sheaves -2I. Latches 22 hold the carriage at either end of its run. Other attachments upon the carriage are clips 2b which underrun the edges of the frame flanges 3, 4 to keep the carriage from lifting, and limit stops 26 on the end flanges I, 2.

Safety features include means to keep trolleys from running off open ends of the tracks i3, I4 and i5 and also to guard the open ends of the# switch rails il and I2 in the event of the switch being thrown with a trolley on either movable rail, as may happen. In theV preferred construction herein illustrated and described, the safety 55 arrangements are all related to a controlling minimum trolley width, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby some pairs of rail ends guard one another without requiring special parts. Special guards are necessary for others, but the size and disposition of these special guards are also inuenced by trolley width., the principal effect being to reduce the size of guards necessary, which aids somewhat in lowering the weight of the entire switch assembly. To illustrate this feature a trolley isshown in Fig. 3 to the same scale as the track. This trolley is the same as shown in Fig. 1 of my co-pending application rial No. 681,337, led July 20, 1933, but with the addition of safety lugs L.

The ends of rail I2 are protected in the position of Figs. 1 and 3 by plates I6, I6 attached to the under side of the main frame sides 3, 4 and coming down far enough to block the upper part of the trolley. At the same time a plate I1, attached under the switch carriage as shown in Fig. 1A, protects the track I5. When the switch is thrown to the right, Fig. 2, the entering end of track section I I comes opposite a plate ISA, similar to plates I6, while the leaving end of II and the end of I IA protect one an-other because so placed that when the switch is in the position shown in Fig. 2 a lug L of a trolley on II will strike the exposed end of IIA before the trolley can run off. Similarly a trolley on I IA is prevented from running off because one of its lugs L will strike the point of II. See upper right corner of Fig. 2. All rails are protected when the switch carriage is in intermediate positions by reason of the fact that before the carriage has moved a rail width in either direction the path of some part of the trolley will be blocked by an end of a plate I6, IGA or I1.

The entire switch assembly is supported at three points, 30, 3l and 32, each of which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as a horizontal section through a hanger rod. The details of preferred hangers are seen in Figs. 3 and 4, but are omitted from Fig. l to simplify the gure. These hanger rods constitute the' sole support for the switch frame. They are joined thereto by appropriate suspension fittings such as 35, 33 and 31, respectively, the details of which are subject to a considerable range of variation according to special requirements. For example, in Fig. 4, the entering rail I3 and the leaving rail I4 are shown as of the same section as the switch rails II and I2, whereas the other leaving" rail I5, as shown as a beam with the web and top flanges of I- beam section and having its lower flanges of rail section. This is only one example, other variations may be used as indicated by any particular situation. The tracks I3, I4 and I5 which are served by the switch are not a part of the switch. They are straight rails cut square across the ends. The ends of these tracks adjacent the switch are suspended by the same hangers 30, 3| and 32 and ttings 35, 3S and 31 which suspend the switch. Thus each of the three points of switch support also holds the adjacent end of its corresponding incoming or outgoing rail. Both ends of the rail I2 are cut square across to match the ends of I3 and I5 and the length of I2 is such as to leave only the necessary clearance for switch-throw.

As previously mentioned, the rails II and IIA together make a 90 curve which connects the tracks I3 and I4 when the switch is in the position of Fig. 1 and is inoperative in the position of Fig. 2. A satis-factory method of manufacture to insure accuracy is to build the switch in the position of Fig. 1, using a single properly bent length of rail for the entire curve from 30 to 3|. This single length is welded or otherwise fastened to the hangers 9 and 9A, all accurately positioned. In quantity production the cuts 38 may be made before the rail is welded on, using a jig to guide the cut. Thus there are, no diiculties of alignment and registry of ends between the sections II and 33. Close calculations and trial-and-error fitting are alike avoided.

The curve II, IIA is convex toward the suspension point 32, with the result that live loads on the curve II, I IA are all carried within the triangular area established by the points 30, 3I, 32 and are suspended only at these three points. Obviously the hangers at points 30, 3I and 32 also suspend the dead weight of the switch.

Live loads on rail I2 are supported by the points 3U and 32 when the switch carriage is in the position of Fig. 2. A special situation arises-"when the switch carriage is moved to the position of Fig. 1 with a live load on the rail I2. In this instance so much of the load to the left of the line between 3l) and 32 as is not counterbalanced by the weight of switch structure to the right of such line causes an upward movement at the point suspended by the hanger 3l. This' is resisted largely by the rail I4, inasmuch as the element 3I will ordinarily be a rod having little strength in compression.

For the reason that all rail elements of the kswitch are so manufactured that all three track ends served by the switch are made by square end cuts of straight sections, no rail bending and no diagonal cutting is required in erecting the system and the only requirement which the installation of this switch imposes upon the erector is that he must cut his rails accurately to length. Then the switch and the tracks to it can be levelled up by adjustments at only three points. In order that the switch may bev levelled up an adjustment is provided for each of. the three suspension elements 30, 3| Vand 32. In the form shown herein, each of these elements is brought into the horizontally disposed upper part of a coupling such as 35, 36 or 31 and held there between nuts on the threaded lower portion of the suspension element. Fig. 4, as typical, the suspension element is the rod 3U. The threaded lowervend of this rod passes through a hole (not shown) in the'horizontal portion A of the coupling 35. The-con; pling is adjusted in height by the lower nut 30A and locked by the upper nut 30B. Any other suitable adjusting mechanism might be used'.

Reference has been made to the utility of the present switch in tramrail systems within steel frame buildings. On account of the fact that no curvature need be put in the 'incoming and outgoing sections, every rail element served by the switch requires nothing beyond end suspension as a bea-m, and this end suspension is com- Taking the coupling 35,

mon to one of the points 'of'suspension'of the matic plan one complete bay and parts of others in a steel frame building of the partly prefabricated type. The elements 40 and 4I represent transverse trusses, longitudinal superstructure spanning the distance between successive trusses is represented by 42 andy43, a continuation of 43 is shown at 44, and 45 indicates additional super- 75 structure parallel to 43' necessary onnaccount of the'special installation. The switches shown in Fig. 5 are xed'in the opposite direction to Figs. I and 2.v Party of the 40e-4I bay is to be used for closely placed tracks I4A to I4E inclusive, such as might be used for storage orclassication purposes. All of these are serevd by the incoming track I3 which is assumed to be of the shallow l rail as shown in Fig. 4', which is not strong enough to, carry rods over long spans but must be suspended in any usual manner at fairly frequent intervals from the superstructure 45, 43. Each of the tracks I4A to IAE inclusive is served by a switch of the present invention, these switches being indicated A, B, C, D and E, respectively. Each switch except E is suspended by its respective points 3U and 32 from the superstructure 43, While the point 3I` is suspended from the additional superstructure 45. The five switchesy are all placed side-by-side with no waste room between. Eachl two adjacent switches. have the suspension elements 311,4 32 in common, this being accomplished by bringing the web of the frame member 3 of. switch E, for example, against the web of theA frame member 4 of switch D and embracing both` webs. between the jaws of the coupling 35'.

In Fig. 5 switch A is shown as thrown to the position of Fig. 2,. andB is. in the position of Fig. l, so that trolleys run straight. through A and are turned onto track MBL The additional superstructure is required for the suspension of the points 3l of all switches eX- cept. E. Clnly one. line of superstructure is necessary because each switch. suspension 3 IA to SID also suspends the end of the adjacent track rail, which wouldnot be possible ii some of the curvature which my improved switch accomplishes by Il, IIA hadto be includedin the track rail.

The switch E also illustrates another saving to which three point suspension gives rise; namely, that myswitch. installed to make a turn to a track under one of the building trusses requires absolutely no superstructure beyond that which is required anyhow for the track. If the switches A, B, C, D were omitted the superstructure 43 would still be required to hold up the rail I3, and the truss 4I would still be a necessary part of the building even if there were no tramrail systern. But the suspension 30 is from 43, the suspensions 32E and SIE are from 4I, and that is all. It is thus apparent that the additional superstructure 45 is not required for switch E and performs no function in respect thereto. On the other hand if any part of the change of direction made by E had to be included in the track I4E a suspension would be needed from 4I to I4E at the end of the tangent and another at the end of the curve, but the suspension to I4E at the end of the curve would have to be out from under 4I and would consequently necessitate some superstructure.

Further considering switches A, B, C and D, if the entire curvature were not included in the switch, a second line of superstructure parallel to 45 would be required, for the Same reasons that apply with respect to switch E `and track IIIE. Although it is true that the support of the yard of Fig. 5 using only one additional frame is predicated upon using rail of sufficient strength` to bridge the distance from 40 to 44, (such as the deep webbed rail I5, Fig. 4) so far as the immediate support of the switches are concerned, over- Other modes of f applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, chan-ge being 'made' as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the vmeans stated'l by any of the following' claims or the equivalen-t of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particuiarly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

l. Irran overhead conveyor'systenr a plurality of switches, each adapted to give either a straight run or a turn, said switches eachhavl'ng three supports in right triangular arrangement, acommon means'for carrying in alignment the sup'- ports defining one-leg of the triangle of each switch, each support in such alignment and'not atthe ends-thereof being common to two switches, said alignedsupports being in the line-of' the straightY track relation 0f said switches, the third support of eachswitch being carried by means parallel to said above-named common means, said third support in each switch supporting an end of the turn;

2. In combination in, an overhead conveyor system, tracks including rails having treadflanges, switches to connect. said tracks selectively,y said switches including railsections movable al denite distance in translationto and from positions where said sections abut track rails, and a trolley movable on the tracks of said system, the transverse width of the trolley in the plane of said.'

tread flanges being greater than said distance of translatory movement.

3". In an 'overhead tramrail conveyor system of the class described, the combination. of rails having tread flanges, a trolley comprisingl wheels and a yoke suspended therefrom, side extension lugs on said yoke, said lugs` bein-g aligned in height with the rail tread flanges whereon said wheels run, whereby to stop said trolley against rail ends sidewardly displaced but within reach of said lugs, the sidejreach ofi said lugs spanning the designed displacement of rail ends.

4. In combination in an overhead conveyor system, tracks, switches to connect said tracks selectively, said switches including rail sections movable a definite distance in translation to and from. positions where said sections abut track rails end to end, and a trolley to run in said system, said trolley including a yoke having side elements adapted when the trolley is moving on one switch rail section or track to the switch to strike an opposed but discontinuous track or rail section, respectively, the reach of said side elements spanning the said definite distance.

5. In an overhead conveyor switch unit, a frame and a carriage movable in translation on said frame, a straight rail and a curved rail carried by said carriage, said straight rail being disposed at right angles to the direction of movement of said carriage and adapted when the carriage is at one end of its travel to connect two aligned track ends, said curved rail constituting part of a curve, a stationary curved rail section rigidly and permanently fixed to said frame and adapted to act as a support for` said frame and constituting the remainder of the total change of direction, said movable curved rail section being adapted to connect one of said track ends with the stationary curved section when the carriage is at the other end of its travel, and means for supporting said switch, said means consisting of a suspension at each point of juncture between a rail of the switch unit anda track rail.

6. In an overhead conveyor system a plurality of switches, each adapted to give either a straight fil run or a turn,means for supporting each of said switches consisting of three supports in triangular arrangement, a common means for carrying in alignment the supports defining one leg of the triangle of each switch, each support in such alignment and not at` the ends thereof being common to two switches, said aligned supports being in the line of the straight track relation of said switches, the third support of each switch being carried by means parallel to said above named common means.

7. In an overhead conveyor system a plurality of switches, each adapted to give either a straight run or a turn, said switches each having three supports in triangular arrangement, a common means for carrying in alignment the supports deliining one leg of the triangle of each switch, each support in such alignment and not at the ends thereof being common to two switches, said aligned supports being in the line of the straight track relation of said switches, the third support of each switch being carried by means parallel to said above-named` common means.

8. A transfer type switch unit for an overhead tramrail system adapted to be interposed between and connect or serve straight sections of track, said switch unit comprising a frame, a member movably supported by said frame, a curved rail section rigidly and permanently fixed to said frame and adapted to act as a support for said frame, a plurality of rail sections fix-ed to said movable member, one of said last mentioned rail sections being `a curved rail section adapted to be aligned with the rst mentioned curved rail section fory onegpositionof said movable member, `and means for supporting said switch, said means consisting of` suspensions located in line with the straight sections of track connected or served by said switch unit.

Y 9. A transfer type switch unit for an overhead tramrail system adapted to be interposed between and connect or serve straight sections of track, said switch unit comprising a frame, a

member movably supported by said frame, a curved rail section rigidly and permanently fixed to said frame and adapted to act as a support for said frame, a plurality of rail sections fixed to said movable member, one of said last mentioned rail sections being a curved rail section adapted to be aligned with the rst mentioned curved rail section at one position of said movable member and form therewith a 90 curve, and means for supporting said frame, said means consisting of suspensions located in line with the straight sections of track connected or served by said switch unit. I

10. A transfer type switch unit for an overhead tramrail system adapted to be interposed between and connect or serve sections of track, said switch unit comprising a frame adapted to be suspended from a suitable support, a member movably supported by said frame, a curved rail section rigidly and permanently fixed to said frame and adapted to act as arsupport for said frame, and a second curved rail section i'ixed to said movable member and adapted to be aligned with the rst mentioned curved rail section for one position of said movable member.

11. A transfer type switch unit for an overread tramrail system adapted to be supported between and connect or serve straight sections of track, said switch unit comprising a frame adapted to be suspended from a suitable support, a member movably supported by said frame, a curved rail section rigidly and permanently fixed to said frame and adapted to act as a support for said frame, and a second curved rail section xed to said movable member and adapted to be aligned with the first mentioned curved rail section for one position of said movable member, the end of the first mentioned curved rail section remote from said second curved rail section lying in a plane normal tothe straight section of track adjacent thereto.

JAMES B. FORKER, JR. 

